Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans.
Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans is the next chapter in Guillermo del Toro's Tales of Arcadia, but is this where the story ends? Released on Netflix in July 2021, Rise of the Titans is a feature film that ties together the three previous Tales of Arcadia series: Trollhunters, 3Below, and Wizards. Produced by Dreamworks Animation, the movie features the same stunning 3D animation and stars largely the same cast of actors as the previous shows.
In the first series, Trollhunters, viewers are introduced to Arcadia Oaks, a seemingly typical suburban town that is also home to trolls, aliens, and wizards. Across the three shows, Jim Lake, the Trollhunter, works alongside his friends Toby and Claire; trolls Blinky and AAARRRGGHH!!!; aliens Aja, Krell, and Varvatos Vex; and the wizard, Douxie; to protect Arcadia from all kinds of threats (mundane, magical and extraterrestrial). In Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans, these guardians of Arcadia face their biggest threat yet when fighting an ancient magical order who want to destroy and remake the world.
Here's what the future holds for Del Toro's Tales of Arcadia and what could follow Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans.
Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans is the End to Tales of Arcadia
Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans is the culmination of all their previous battles and it caps off the Tales of Arcadia saga. Its story picks up events roughly a year after the ending of Wizards, and sees Jim and his allies fighting to prevent the Arcane Order, an ancient group of elemental mages, from destroying the world. Rise of the Titans is a climactic finale to Tales of Arcadia, delivering a fitting end to the adventures of Jim and the other Guardians of Arcadia that began back in 2016 with Trollhunters.
Are More Tales of Arcadia Shows or Movies Planned?
Currently, Dreamworks Animation and Netflix don't appear to have any plans to continue Tales of Arcadia with more shows or movies. Trollhunters originally ran for three seasons, while 3Below had two and Wizards only one. Given how Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans unites the heroes from all three Tales of Arcadia series, it works as an ending for all three. This isn't to say Rise of the Titans' ending doesn't create opportunities to continue the Tales of Arcadia story, it certainly does, but it's clear Rise of the Titans is meant to be a grand finale to what Tales of Arcadia has been building across its previous shows.
What Future Tales of Arcadia Stories Could Be Told?
Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans ends in such a way that more stories set within Tales of Arcadia could absolutely be told, and it will be interesting to see if DreamWorks and Netflix consider expanding on what's teased by the ending. With the timeline reset, there's an inherit curiosity about how events will play out differently. Jim, of course, remembers the original Tales of Arcadia timeline and has already begun working to ensure things play out mostly the same, but also different. His nudging of Toby towards becoming the Trollhunter as well as his original reason for resetting the timeline, the saving of those who died in the fight against the Arcane Order - Toby especially - already indicates Jim intends to make sure not everything happens exactly as it did. Revisiting moments from the series from not just a different perspective but with an entirely different protagonist would be really interesting if Tales of Arcadia were to continue.
Then again, having built such a fascinating world, it might be more interesting to explore beyond Arcadia. While the town is the center of the universe, magic can exist elsewhere and there are many parts of this planet (not to mention other galaxies) that could serve as the setting of a new Tale. Whatever the decision is about the future for Tales of Arcadia, Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans delivers a strong finale, and one that doesn't limit the possibility of more to come.